The holiday season is officially here! Time to indulge in food, fun,music,friends, and—let’s be real—panicking over what to gift. If you’re anything like us, it’s that last part that causes a mini existential crisis as you try to figure out what that special person would actually enjoy.

A coffee mug? Sure, but they have thirty of those, and it’s doubtful one more is going to spark joy.

A fancy leather wallet? Great, except without cash inside, it’s basically a bad omen.

A new vacuum? Unless you’re trying to sleep on the couch this year, don’t go there…seriously, don’t.

So, what’s our go-to for holiday gifting?

We love giving (and receiving) crafting tools! Yep, they’re our secret weapon. And if you are here reading this, you definitely have amaker in your life and you searched “gifts for crafty people” or someone sent you this link as a *HINT*HINT*nudge. Giving tools and supplies for a specific hobby shows you actually get the person and want to support what they love doing. Plus, it’s a gift that’s both thoughtful and practical—no one’s going to end up with a drawer full of unloved tchotchkes. Whether your crafty friend is just starting out or has been a maker since they were kids,there are tools (a.k.a. grown-up toys) for all levels. The Colonial Needle Company has an amazing array to choose from, from beginner-friendly needle collections to fancy, advanced tools for the pros—perfect for taking their projects to the next level.

And unlike, say, a mousepad that will probably end up in a drawer, these gifts will be used. They actually help create something tangible and meaningful, which in turn makes your gift feel extra thoughtful. You’re not just gifting an item; you’re gifting a whole new creative adventure. What could be better than that?

Give a few of these as individual gifts in a stocking or goodie bag or go all in and grab them all and bundle them into a FAB gift basket for the maker in your life. Either way, they will love it!

Here are our favorites for 2024:

1. The NEW Palm Thimble
2. John James Long Darner Needles
3. Easy-Store Tape Measure
4. Presencia Thread Collections
5. Roxanne Chalk Marking Pencils
6. Mat Smoother
7. Sixth Finger™ Stiletto
8. Curved Quilting Needles
9. Knitters Needles
10. Roxanne Glue
11. John James 100 Needle Collection
12. Colonial 100 NeedleCollection
13. John James 33 Craft Needle Collection
14. Colonial Best Home Needle Assortment
15. Hand Needle Pack II
16. The NEW Needle Wheel
17. Thimble Pack Plus
18. All Fingertip Thimbles

Gift-giving is one of life’s little joys, so don’t dread it. Have as much fun picking out the perfect tools as they’ll have using them!

When we met the folx from Colonial Needle Company earlier this year, we were thoroughly impressed by the vast array of tools and notions they carried. Looking around their booth we saw they had just about everything any stitching enthusiast might want—needles of all types for every project imaginable, glue, thread, hoops, and so much more for making all the things.

However, there was one item we used in our day-to-day stitching that was missing: a palm thimble. The unassuming palm thimble was one of those items we both grew up knowing nothing about. It wasn’t until we began our journey into sashiko and boro that we discovered and fell in love with this underrated and often overlooked tool. Its usefulness in hand quilting, sashiko, boro,embroidery, and visible mending cannot be overstated; it’s a simple tool that produces remarkable results.

When the day came that Colonial Needle informed us they would be releasing a palm thimble at Fall Quilt Market, we asked them to send us a couple to try out. We were not disappointed. We put the new tool through rigorous testing including hand quilting on two quilts, sashiko stitching, kogin stitching, embroidering, and repairing torn jeans. The ring fits snugly on our fingers and allows us to grip fabric and maneuver needles with ease. Because the thimble plate rests in the palm of the hand, it allows us to apply greater pressure when pushing through multiple layers of fabric at once.

Oh yeah…and the adjustable part of the ring doesn’t dig into our fingers which allows us to keep stitching well past the end of the film we may or may not have just missed the ending of.

If, like us, you are are unfamiliar with the palm thimble, we recommend picking one up and giving it a try. To further incentivize you, we’re providing a free sashiko pattern for you to practice with, available here. Watch the associated video and use the John James Long Darner Needles that we use for all of our sashiko!

Remember, like any tool, it will take some practice to master the palm thimble, but once you do, you’ll find yourself reaching for it every time you pick up a needle!

STITCH ON!!

Shannon and Jason

If you thought embroidery hoops were just for ummmm…hooping your embroidery…then just wait till you see what else these wonders of creativity can do!

If you’ve ever tried your hand at embroidery, you are no doubt familiar with the trusty embroidery hoop. With the WIDE range of styles and sizes available from Colonial Needle Company, you are definitely going to be able to find a hoop for maintaining fabric tension for everything from embroidery projects to mending to quilting. But did you know this tensioning tool can be used as a creative showcase for your textile and fiber art pieces?

Let’s chat for a minute about the many uses for this functional and decorative tool.

Three ways to use sewing hoops:

• Stabilization and Tension

This is the first thing most of us think of when we consider the usefulness of embroidery hoops. And for good reason! Picture this: you’re working on a delicate embroidery design, and your fabric keeps sliding around like a high strung cat on a linoleum floor. Not ideal, right? No. And proper fabric tension is a must for hand quilting.

Without that smooth, taut surface, your hand quilting stitches become slow and cumbersome and uneven. Enter the embroidery hoop to secure and hold your fabric at your desired tension, making sure it doesn’t wriggle away from your stitches. It’s like having a personal assistant who holds your material steady while you focus on creating a masterpiece. No more wibbly wobbly fabric and wonky stitches—just smooth, precise stitching.

• Beyond Embroidery

The humble embroidery hoop might just be the muse you didn’t know you needed. Its round shape invites creative thinking, encouraging you to experiment with circular yarn, thread, and fabric designs beyond just embroidery. Whether you’re crafting a mandala, weaving with fabric or yarn, creating an abstract quilted art piece, or a holiday decoration, the hoop provides a unique canvas that can spark new ideas encouraging you to think outside the (square) box.

• Easy Framing and Display

When your artwork is complete, guess what? Your embroidery hoop doubles as a frame. That’s right—no need to scramble for an extra frame or worry about finding the right size
while digging through those piles and bins at the craft store…and don’t get us started with the prices of custom framing for projects. YIKES!

Create the perfect frame for your embroidery pieces, special fabric panels, extra quilt blocks, or that crochet lace you found in the attic. Just trim the excess fabric,or secure it out of sight behind the hoop, and voilà! Your art is ready to hang, gift, or show off on social media. Add a quick fabric wrap (watch our video for how we did that) or put on a quick coat of paint to create a custom frame minus the custom cost. Bonus points for looking effortlessly chic!

From enhancing precision in your hand stitching to serving as a charming frame to inspiring new creative projects, the benefits of using an embroidery hoop extend far beyond its traditional use. For additional information on how to identify the different types of hoops, how to prepare your hoop for stitching, and hoop use inspiration, check out our YouTube video here!

How have you used embroidery hoops in your crafting endeavors? Have we inspired you to take another look at how to use embroidery hoops? Tag us on social media so show us how you use Colonial Needle Company hoops!